Ice-breaking- boat



' HENRY BROWN AND WILLIAM BROWN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ICE-BREAKING- BOAT.

l Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,472, dated August 5, 1856.`

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY BROWN and WILLIAM BROWN, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Ice-Boat, and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invent-ion consists in constructing a steamboat with a recess at the bows, the bottom of the recess consisting of two inclined shelves, one on each side, and divided by an angular' rib tapering upward from the bows, and terminating with a curve under the deck the end of the recess forming an angle t-he sides of which taper toward the bows of the boat. In connect-ion with the above we employ a guard on each side, suspende-d from, and secured to the deck, the whole is arranged and constructed as fully described hereafter for the purpose of breaking the ice, and directing the broken pieces underneath the body of the ice, which remains unbroken on each side of the boat, thus forming a clear channel in froze-n rivers, and harbors for the passage of sailing and other vessels.

In order to enable othersskilled in the art to make and use our invention we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the drawing which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1,'is a side view of our improved ice-boat. Fig. 2 anfend view looking toward the bows. Fig. 3, a sectional plan on the line lf2 (Fig. l).

The same letters of reference allude to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the hull of the boat, B the water line, C the boXes in which work the paddle wheels D, the latter being of the ordinary construction.

In the bows of the boat we construct a recess X, the bottom of which consists of two shelves E and E the distance between the outside edges of which, at their greatest width, and viewed transversely (as in Fig. 2), is the same as or somewhat greater than, the distance between the outsides of the two paddle wheels. The edges of the opposite shelves, viewed as in Fig. 3, taper with a gentle curve toward a blunt point at the bows where they meet each other. From their edges the shelves taper upward with a rounded curve, longitudinally toward the terminations F and F of the recess, as well as laterally toward the angular projecting rib Gr, which separates the two shelves. This pointed rib, at the bows, projects slightly above the shelves, but increases in depth as it tapers upward and terminates with a ycur-ve at the underside of the deck (see Fig.

l). The terminations F and F of the recess, which meet the shelves E and E', taper toward the bows of the vessel as seen in Fig. 3.

Suspended from the deck of the vessel and firmly secured thereto on each side of the bows are the guards H and I-I, the points L of which project a short dist-ance below the water line. From these points the guards taper both ways, the edges being beveled on the inside.

It should be understood that the edgesof the shelves E and E must be from 12 to 18 inches below the level of the water line B, so as to pass under ice of a reasonable thickness.

Operation: Supposing the above described boat to be propelled toward a cake of ice, the first portion that comes inl contact with t-he latter will be the tapering point of the angular rib G, the further progress of the boat will cause the rib to so act on the underside of the ice as to raise and consequently split the same. As the boat continues to advance the guards H and I-I will also have a tendency to break the ice, at the point where their beveled edges come in contact with the latter; thus the ice will, for the most part, be broken into square blocks which must necessarily fall on each side of the projecting rib Q, and onto the inclined surfaces of the shelves E and E. .As the boat continues to advance the shape of the shelvessvmect the block under the ice on each side of the Wsselasseen in Fig.

2, and such an impetus is given to themkerhlu()` pieces by the angular terminations F and F of the recess that they are forced a considerable dist-ance under the remaining ice, and thus by the propulsion of the boat a clearer channel is out than by the usual process of' breaking up the ice into small pieces by striking the same by the bows of vessels and the action of paddle wheels.

What We claim and desire to secure by of breaking a channel through ice, and di- 1o Letters Patent, is reeting the broken pieces under the ice re- The formation of a recess in the bow of maining on each side of the channel. a steamboat said recess havin@ inclined WN 5 shelves E arid E', angular terminations F and F', and angular rib G, in combina-tion With the guards H and H', the Whole being Vitnesses:

arranged and constructed substantially in HENRY HOWSON,

the manner herein Set forth, for the purpose WILLIAM E. WALTON. 

